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Design a BY CHARLES MILLER Better Deck A Follow these 7 guidelines for the perfect outdoor space to get down to the ground—even that is better than no outdoor space at all. If you’re planning a new deck, though, or if you’ve got a penalty-box deck now and want to improve it, there are some important things to remember. 1. When you think “deck,” think “room” The first thing to think about when you’re designing a deck is what you’re going to use it for so that you can size the space accordingly. Will your deck function as a kitchen, an outdoor living room, an outdoor dining room, or some combination of those options? If you want the new deck to be an outdoor dining room, take a look at your indoor dining room, and see how you can duplicate the dimen- 72 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo above: courtesy of www.artistryindecks.com. Photo facing page: Brian Pontolilo. ny outdoor space is better than no outdoor space. Even the kind of deck that we call a “penalty box”—the type you’ve probably seen attached to one side of a house, sometimes on the second floor, with no sun protection and no way